Coffee

Does anybody drink coffee anymore?  I’m talking about REAL coffee, as in straight black with nothing added to its rich goodness.  I go to coffee shops and have the hardest time locating “just” coffee on the menu, and even when I do, the person behind the counter stares at me like I’ve just grown another appendage when I order it.  What happened to the good old days, when you simply ordered coffee (and if you wanted anything added to it you asked).  Now I say “I’d like coffee please,” and they assume I mean espresso (which I don’t), or ask me what kind of coffee I mean, “We have Lattes, Breves, Americanos, Mochas, ecc… ” Coffee - is just water steeped in coffee granules for a few minutes, and that is what I really want.  No, to find something that will keep me awake at school, I have to sort through an exasperatingly long list of coffee drinks that are prepared in innumerous ways, all of which have cryptic names linked to the ratio of coffee/milk/flavor/other.  Honestly, I haven’t a clue as to what my coffee beverage is going to taste like!   

Wikipedia lists the different types of coffee drinks, and mind you, this is only the short list as each and every coffee house has its own array of Specials and House Blends.  I will admit to enjoying a Caramel Macchiato or an Almond Latte now and again, but this list is ridiculous!                                        

  Affogato, Black Eye, Black Tie, Breve, Caffè Americano, Café au lait, Café Bombón, Caffè latte, Cafe Medici, Café mélange, Coffee milk, Cafe mocha, Cafe Zorro, Ca phe sua da, Cappuccino, Caramel Machiatto, Chai Latte, Chocolate Dalmatian, Cinnamon Spice Mocha, Cortado, Decaf, Dirty Chai, Eggnog Latte, Eiskaffee, Espresso Romano, Flat white, Frappuccino, Galão, Guillermo, Gingerbread Latte, Greek frappé coffee, Green Eye, Half-caf, Iced coffee, Indian filter coffee, Instant coffee, Irish Coffee, Kopi susu, Liqueur coffee, Macchiato, Mary Turner Coffee, Mocha, Mazagran, Mochasippi, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pocillo, Raspberry Mocha, Red Eye, Red Tie, Red Tux, Skinny Latte, Soy Latte, Torpedo, Triple C's, Turkish coffee, Vienna coffee, White Chocolate Mocha, Yuanyang, Zebra Mocha